#I gladly take fan game recs!!

[rotund-spheal]

@ every person who has had a hand in a pokemon fan game thank you for your service

[adastrafanfic]

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Ad Astra News - 7/2 - 7/8

State of the Archive

Okay, so listen up. This is important.A lot of people coming to Ad Astra have never been a part of the Ad Astra community back when we were still running on eFiction. They're new authors from AO3, especially, who are used to a certain kind of culture and looking for alternatives to AO3; that culture is often far more passive in its consumption and less interactive in general. While AO3 is an incredible resource, it's not really a fan community. That's not meant as a disparagement; AO3 serves its intended purpose (maybe even too well) of being a place where everyone can safely archive stories. It is not, though, a social platform, nor was it meant to be.

Ad Astra is, by contrast, a community. When you're over here archiving your stories frantically, distressed by what's happening with OTW, you're stepping foot into a place with a very long history that has been kept alive by a relatively small number of people who love it. Who have paid for its survival for years, even when we were broke and literally scraping change together from the core community to keep afloat. Even when we were quiet. Even when we lost two of our own to death by illness. And even when it felt hopeless. We have been, for almost fifteen years, a circle of people -- sometimes larger, sometimes smaller, sometimes just a few die-hards -- telling each other stories and celebrating each others stories around a campfire. This is what you're coming into. So I need you, the new people, to understand that you aren't owed this space. We invite you (general you) into it, and we will gladly -- joyfully -- fold you into our community, but you aren't entitled to this. If you want it to survive, if you want the efforts of those of us who have poured incredible hours of time and money and effort into this just so we could offer it to you for free to continue, then do your part to keep it alive. Celebrate your fellow authors. Write comments. Write recs. Talk on the forums, join a rewatch, host a rewatch. Join the weekly challenge. Get involved. (And, you know, follow my tagging rules and stop trying to sneak around them. LOL! I see you. If it's not useful for universal search filtering, it doesn't belong on the archive and I will cull it with glee. XD) Any fan community starts and ends with its people, not with its platform. I know you like the platform. Now come and celebrate the people, and let us celebrate you, too. Thanks.

Weekly Challenge #10

For this challenge, you get to take a look at a 'turn right' AU. Or left. Or backwards. Pick a canon moment or a moment in the lives of a character, one of your OCs or even just in the universe and explore, in 100 to 700 words, what might have happened if it played out differently. If a different person stepped in front of the disruptor fire. Or if someone had a nightmare and backed out of that assignment. The sky's the limit; interpret however liberally or strictly as you like!

If you post it to the archive, add it to the Weekly Challenges collection with the tag Weekly Challenge: One Reality Over and post a link here in this thread so we can go see!

Challenge ends at 11:59PM Eastern on Friday, July 14th!

Also, a special shout-out to Beatrice_Otter, who was a total MVP this week by compiling about 90% of our Stories Archived section for me while I kept settling in to my new job. For real, she was amazing and thank you so, so much for the help, Beatrice.

Stories Archived

Star Trek: Discovery

by lah_mrh A Light in the Darkness - T - Michael Burnham, Saru, Philippa Georgiou Know You Better Now - T - Ash Tyler/Christopher Pike Yours If You Want It - T - Ash Tyler | Voq/Christopher Pike

by nonelvis It's All We Know Now to Never Go Back - Explicit - Gabriel Lorca/River Song The Winter Festival - G - Gabriel Lorca/Katrina Cornwell War Games - T - Gabriel Lorca/Ash Tyler A Quiet Empire - T - Gabriel Lorca/Michael Burnham

by Pixie Fear of Falling - M - Gabriel Lorca/Katrina Cornwell Soldier or Musician - G - Hugh Culber/Paul Stamets, Sylvia Tilly I can feel the flames on my skin - T - Gabriel Lorca/Katrina Cornwell Dracarys - G - Katrina Cornwell/Phillipa Georgiou

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

by lah_mrh Waiting It Out - G - Christopher Pike & Una Chin-Riley | Number One by StarryEyes2000 Extra Scenes, Codas, and Other Stuff (SNW Season 2) - T - Ensemble Cast Captain Honorary Dad - T - Christopher Pike, Ensemble Cast

Star Trek: The Original Series

by IDICdreads What If We Could - G - Spock/Christine Chapel There is no pain. - T - Spock, James T. Kirk, Leonard "Bones" McCoy Oh, the places you'll boldly go! - G - Ensemble Cast

by jamaharon Please - Explicit - Spock/James T. Kirk Mating Season (So to Speak) - T - Spock/James T. Kirk Hot Springs - T - Spock/James T. Kirk Care - G - Spock/James T. Kirk Leaving the Table - G - James T. Kirk/Leonard "Bones" McCoy

by lah_mrh Tea and Sympathy - G - James T. Kirk & Spock

by SLWalker Cinderella in a Party Dress - Teen - Leonard "Bones" McCoy/Montgomery "Scotty" Scott Echoes, Silence, Patience and Grace - M - Montgomery Scott (Mirror)

Star Trek: Alternate Original Series

by daraoakwise If Only In My Dreams - T - Leonard "Bones" McCoy (AOS)/Montgomery "Scotty" Scott (AOS)

by StarryEyes2000 Dating Advice - T - Leonard "Bones" McCoy (AOS), James T. Kirk (AOS), Spock (AOS)

Star Trek: The Next Generation

by baktag To Boldly Go - T - Data & Guinan

by intothisshadow [Graphics] Star Trek TNG Wallpapers - G - Beverly Crusher, Deanna Troi

by jamaharon Earl Grey, Hot - G - Jean-Luc Picard/William Riker Death Letter Blues - G - Jean-Luc Picard/William Riker Wild, Wild Young Men - T - Worf/William Riker Odysseus to Telemachus - M - Thomas Riker & Kyle Riker Cat Puberty - G - Data, Geordi La Forge, William Riker Mood Indigo - G - Deanna Troi/William Riker Conjoined - T - Deanna Troi/William Riker, Thomas Riker/Worf Parallels - G - Guinan, Ro Laren Live - M - Deanna Troi/William Riker Phantom Pain - T - Deanna Troi/William Riker A Bridge of Brass - T - Thomas Riker & William Riker Haptics - G - Data/Geordi La Forge Changes - M - William Riker/Data Starlines - E - Jean-Luc Picard/William Riker Noli Me Tangere // Touch Me Not - M - Deanna Troi/William Riker The Enterprise Gets a Sex Change - T - Ensemble Worf's Warlike Battle of the Arms - T - William Riker/Worf Five Times Riker Staked His Claim + One Time Worf Staked His Instead - Unrated - Deanna Troi/William Riker/Worf Five Times Riker Didn't Want to Have Sex + One Time He Didn't Have To - E - Deanna Troi/William Riker Absent in the Spring - T - Jean-Luc Picard/William Riker

by kimaracretak the tidings from our fading sun made me wiser - T - Deanna Troi/Ro Laren

by Pixie Lefler's Law 17 - T - Robin Lefler/Sito Jaxa

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

by jamaharon Just Doing His Job - G - Elim Garak/Julian Bashir

by kimaracretak the sky stirred - T - Winn Adami

by LordRobertBruceScott Star Beagle Adventures Episode 1: The Eye of the Beholder - Teen - Pel, original characters

by Pixie Meet Cute - G - Elim Garak/Morn

By sixbeforelunch Soldiers Were Children Once - T - Quark

Star Trek: Voyager

by nostalgia Where No One Can Hear You Scream - Mature - Kathryn Janeway/Chakotay

by Pixie Morale - G - Tuvok, Tom Paris Kindred - G - Kathryn Janeway & Tuvok, Kathryn Janeway/Tuvok,

Star Trek: Picard

by jamaharon The Drowned Girl - G - Deanna Troi/William Riker Head Like a Haunted House - T - Jack Crusher/Borg Queen Safe and Sound - G - Geordi La Forge, William Riker Nothing Heavier - T - Jean-Luc Picard/William Riker/Deanna Troi Boys Don't Cry - G - Deanna Troi/William Riker

Star Trek: Prodigy

by Pixie Limitless - G - Kathryn Janeway, Tuvok, Gwyndala, Jack Crusher

Expanded Universes

by DavidFalkayn Bellerophon: Into the Unknown - Mature - Ensemble Cast Opening Moves - Mature - Multiple Relationships The Big Dance - M - Ensemble Cast

by Gibraltar The Plebe - NR - Liana Ramirez

[lananiscorner]

Your characterization is fine, your story will be fine and you will be fine, too

So, I recently got a comment on one of my fics of someone asking me to beta read their fanfic draft, because they were worried they had gotten characterization wrong since they haven’t read all the comics. I saw in that statement the same kind of failure-expecting fan content production anxiety I had when I first started writing again three years ago, so I wanna share some of what I wrote to that commenter with all of you.

I think as content creators we often grossly overestimate just how much our readers actually know about canon. E.g. don't think anybody in fandom has ever read every single piece of batfam material. There is just too much of it. Many people who are in the fandom barely even read the comics at all. Likewise, most people who have played the Darksiders games probably haven’t read the comics/novel or maybe they’ve only played one of the games.

There will always be at least 1 person who doesn't like your characterization. I’ve had people criticize my Tim, my Bruce, and my Jason. I’ve had people trying to correct my Darksiders lore. It’s ok. Every reader is free to voice their opinion. Every writer is free to ignore it if they want.

There will always be at least 1 person who loves it. I mean, there are people out there who actually, genuinely like Batman: A Death In The Family and Batman: War Games. *shrugs*

If your story is set within the continuity of a certain storyline, read that storyline and draw from that characterization. These characters have often been written for so long, by so many people, canon itself does not even remember what it wants.

If it is not set in a specific storyline, feel free to go wild. I mean, my fic "Airport Regrets" takes place in a wibbly wobbly timey wimey universe where Barbara is wheelchair-bound at the same time that Cass, Steph and Duke are part of the batfam and everybody gets along. I don't think that ever happened in canon. “Unsettled” takes place in the early days of the Nephilim which none of the Darksiders games really went into much detail for (even the novel, which, btw, includes plenty of lore that contradicts the game).

Even if you get it wrong, to err is human. Next time will be better.

You can find some good character meta on tumblr (focus on reading rec lists and meta posts that are actually backed up with panels to avoid pure fanon).

Last but not least: even good professional, official canon writers/artists can produce truly shitty content. Joe Mad is a great artist, but his original designs for Fury make me want to kiss her character designer in Darksiders 3. Grant Morrison may be a comic-writing legend, but what he did to Jason in Post Crisis Batman and Robin is a travesty. Fanfic is meant for exploration. That's our boon and bane.

I mean, I wrote a lot of my batfam stuff long before I ever even touched the comics, based solely on the Arkham games. I can still count the number of comics I've read that had Duke in them on one hand and I haven't read much of Damian's or Steph's material either, yet I’ve written all of them. It’s doable. You just have to take a leap of faith sometimes.

TLDR: Most fans haven’t consumed nearly as much of the franchise’s  canon material as you think and even good, professional, paid creators can screw up royally sometimes. Write what you want to write. Someone will love it. Someone will hate it. You will get better. Your fic will be fine. You will be fine.

P.S.: Before anyone asks, I don’t do proof-reading/beta-reading of entire chapters. I will gladly answer character meta asks and give general writing advice, but actual “does this line sound off to you” is not something I have the spoons for doing for the general fanfic-writing public.

[userpurple]

oh that's so cool! what are your favorite video games that you've watched/played? and i agree hot coffee >>> iced. hot chocolate is such a once a year indulgence, have you ever tried hot chocolate bombs too?? i tried them last year (so good) so i want to try and make my own this year! - pixel 💌

ngl i definitely had to look up what a hot chocolate bomb was but daaang those look yum! let me know how they turn out when you try them (maybe pictures too? once you reveal yourself that is)! i'm not a fan of the marshmallows though (too sweet for me) but i will gladly take a dollop of whipped cream with chocolate shavings sprinkled on top! AND FINALLY SOMEONE WHO LIKES HOT DRINKS!! i watch korean asmr cafe vlogs on yt and 9 out of 10 drinks are ordered cold, EVEN IN WINTER.

on my psp, i used to play three of them. daxter, which i started but couldn't get past a certain point so i stopped (also bc there were guns and i'm not a fan of shooting stuff, no matter how vicious or ugly they are). the second one i can't remember (barely touched it). the last was harvest moon: hero of leaf valley, which i'll shamelessly admit i still play even after all these years XD unfortunately i can't play it anymore because the disc - even in the pristine condition that it's in rn - is more than a decade old and has started to create glitches.

i'm currently hooked on genshin impact gameplays and walkthroughs on youtube!! ESPECIALLY THE EPIC BOSS BATTLES! honestly it's hard to find good video games that DON'T have gun violence these days :/ but hey what about you? maybe you have some game recs for me!

[m0rgansux]

Have you ever gotten stitches? No

Do you ever listen to country music? Not unless I’m looking up random songs on youtube and I fall down the country music rabbit hole

This time last year were you happier then or now? Probably then

Does your bathroom have a theme to it? No

From inside of your house, how many doors lead outside? 2 I think???

What’s your favorite music video at the moment? I don’t watch music videos enough to have a favorite srry

Which movie villain do you find the most terrifying? For some reason literally all I can think of is the evil queen

If you married your favorite celebrity what would your last name be? I’m not sure who my favorite celebrity is so I’m just going with the first one I thought of so MORGAN GUBLER

Is there a t.v show that you wish was still on t.v? Parks and Rec or That 70′s Show

Do you have a favorite Adam Sandler movie? what is it? 50 First Dates idc

Do you really think Monday is the worst day of the week? Not necessarily

Do you say “soda” or “pop”? Soda

Are you shy about singing in front of people? YEAH

If you could get backstage tickets to ANY concert - which would you pick? I would gladly take Twenty One Pilots maybe??? Because it’s a lot less likely to happen now that they’re so famous

Do you own a robe? I DO

Do you sleep with a sleep mask? No I’m not that extra

Is your dream job attainable? Yes

What’s your go-to website when you’re really bored? Youtube

Have you ever been on vacation with someone other than your family? Yes actually wow

Do you live with your parents? Yes

Do you have a job, and if so, where do you work? I do not

If not, do you want one? I want money and I’m graduating soon so I guess so

Have you ever been to a professional sports game? When I was little I went to soccer games with my friend Ellen

How far do you live from New York City? about 10-12 hours by car

Do you prefer pads, tampons or something else? Pads

Have you ever visited someone in prison? No

What months were you and your siblings born in? March, July, September

Have you ever had sex in/on a vehicle? ...

What letter does your street name begin with?   P

What’s the last letter of your middle name? A

Do you like the picture on your license/i.d. card? It’s not the worst picture I’ve ever taken

Who did you last spoon with? A cat

Does your family eat dinner together? Not usually

Do people ever mistake you for being a different race? No

Have you ever let someone be your everything? Many times I’m emotionally dependent

Have you ever listened to music you hated just to fit in? I don’t think so

What’s an interesting fact about you that not many people know? I’m not interesting enough for that

Do you do anything embarrassing when no one is home? I’M ALWAYS EMBARRASSING

Can you take a joke? Yes

Who’s your favorite singer as of now? Lady Gaga I think what

Do you accept all of your friend requests on facebook? No

Are you more of a Hot Topic person or an Abercrombie person? I’m not really either, but I could probably find something I like at both places But I’d probably find more at Hot Topic

Are you in your pajamas at the moment? No but I’m not in clothes I would wear in public

What was the last song you had on repeat? Perfect Illusion - Lady Gaga

Who is your favorite person to watch on youtube? grav3yardgirl

Can you sleep through thunderstorms? YAAAAAAAAAAASSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

Ever spent the night in a tent? Yes I was a girl scout for like 15 years

Is it ever okay for a woman to ask out a man? .....ya who cares

How important is it for a significant other to be good with kids? I don’t give a shit I hate children

Have you ever been IN a wedding? Yes

Do people ever ask you to do things they’re too short to accomplish? ALL THE TIME

Do your siblings bring people around that your parents don’t approve of? They’re in their 30′s, so no..

Do you get sick of people who call themselves bipolar all the time? Ya but I’m not overly bothered about it

Ever have an ultra-sound performed on you? what was it for? I don’t think so

What would you say is the color of your favorite bra? Black

Ever peed in the pool? Be honest! Probably tbh

Do you listen to any music sung in different languages? I like some spanish songs

How old is your oldest sibling? 33

How often do you clear your browser history? Never

Ever written fan fiction for anything? I’ve tried

Would you prefer to be at a beach or in the countryside? ....I guess the beach

Do you believe that there are certain circumstances when cheating is allowed? No

You have to get a piercing, what do you get? Another ear piercing

Where is the person you last kissed at this moment? Shitting his pants in a Wendy’s parking lot

Is it okay if you kiss people when you’re single? ....ya

When was the last time you saw the person you last kissed? NEVER I HAVE NEVER SEEN THEM

Have you ever slept in a bed with the opposite sex? I don’t think so

Are you ever jealous of your best friend? Yeah

Do you have instagram? Yes

Do you have any quotes on your bedroom walls? No

Have you ever played laser tag? Like 500 years ago

Does your phone have a cover on it? Yes, an Otterbox

Hot dogs or hamburgers? Hamburgers

Do you have a common first name? Relatively common

Do you prefer beef, chicken or steak? Chicken

Are you any good at applying make up? I’ve gotten better

How old were the last 3 people you kissed? 49, 87, 99

Is the last person you kissed mad at you? No I murdered them

Think back to your last ex, do you still have feelings for that person? I don’t believe in feelings

If your parents didn’t like the person you were dating, would you dump them? No

Do you have any twins in your family? Not that I know of

Have you ever kissed someone that had a tattoo? No but I have kissed someone while giving someone else a tattoo WHILE on a unicycle and also breastfeeding

Is there someone that you would kiss right now if they wanted to? I am not answering this how dare you ask me that